What's Happening May 2, 3, 4, 2015

There are a lot of fun events happening in our area this weekend, including the 5th Annual North Quabbin Arts in Bloom Spring Festival at Butterfield Park (E. River St.), Orange. Lots of Fun for the Whole Family! May Pole Braiding, Food Vendors, Silent Auction, Raffles, Medicinal Hula Hooping, Artisans, Children's Crafts, and more. For more information, visit www.artsinbloom-nq.org or contact Candi Fetzer (978) 633-4302. 

1-3 Friday-Saturday 8pm, Sunday 2pm. Theater at the Mount presents The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Take out your dictionaries! This six-time Tony nominated musical tells the story of five quirky kids vying for 1st prize, bragging rights, and most importantly, a trip to the National Spelling Bee Championship. The misfit contestants are joined by 3 or 4 guest spellers from the audience as they learn that a spelling bee is one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time, win or lose. Can you spell i-r-r-e-s-i-s-t-i-b-l-e? For more information, visit mwcc.edu/tam.

1-2 Friday-Saturday 6pm-8pm. Flora's Holiday at Tower Hill. Celebrate spring with a unique story and music journey with master storyteller Diane Edgecomb accompanied by Celtic harper Margot Chamberlain, heard on NPR. Member $25, Non-member $30. For more information, visit www.towerhillbg.org.

1 Friday 6pm-8pm. Artist of the month Deana Mexoued at the Leominster Art Center & Gallery, 45 Main St. Leominster. Open to all ages. Visit leominsterartcenter.com.

1 Friday 7:30pm. GALA Coffee House, A Night Out. Acoustic Music & Song, 205 School Street Gardner. GALA is pleased to feature the music of Linq. We are happy to offer two opening acts: Caleb Wetherbee and Joshua Hill. The first Friday of every month GALA offers acoustic music by local and regional singer-songwriters. This is an alcohol free event. Refreshments will be available.

1 Friday 8pm-10pm. Spring Comedy Night at Wachusett Mountain featuring Steve Sweeney, Orlando Baxter, and Adam Webster.  Open seating. Recommended 18+. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Doors open at 7.

2-3 Saturday & Sunday 9am–5pm. Welcome Back Spring: Daffodil and Primrose Shows at Tower Hill Botanic Gardens, 11 French Drive, Boylston. The annual Seven States Daffodil Show features hundreds of flowers cut and gathered from gardens in New England and New York. A floral design competition, talks and tours included. Visit Tower Hill’s signature field of more than 25,000 daffodils and tens of thousands of Narcissus planted throughout the formal gardens. See the American Primrose Society’s National Primrose Show, which includes workshops, lectures, and sales. Admission $12 adults, $9 seniors, $7 youths 6 to 18. Visit www.towerhillbg.org or call 508-869-6111.

2-3 Saturday & Sunday. Safety Weekend at Davis Farmland, 145 Redstone Hill Road, Sterling. Active firefighters, police officers, armed forces members and their families are admitted free with their valid ID. Visit www.davisfarmland.com/dffa_wp for details. Call 978-422-MOOO.

2 Saturday 10am-11:30am. The Art of Growing Food: A Day with Ellen Ecker Ogden (Lecture & Workshop) at Tower Hill. Elevate an ordinary vegetable garden to extraordinary. Ellen Ogden writes about food and gardens for The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living and The Boston Globe. Lecture: Member $15, Non-member $25. For more information, visit www.towerhillbg.org.

2 Saturday 11am-5pm. 5th Annual North Quabbin Arts in Bloom Spring Festival at Butterfield Park (E. River St.), Orange. Lots of Fun for the Whole Family! May Pole Braiding, Food Vendors, Silent Auction, Raffles, Medicinal Hula Hooping, Artisans, Children's Crafts, and more. For more information, visit www.artsinbloom-nq.org or contact Candi Fetzer (978) 633-4302.

3 Sunday 10am. Annual Fishing Derby at the Royalston Fish & Game Club, 50 Main Road, Phillipston. The youth (14 and under) derby is held from 10 am-12 pm, and adult derby follows. Prizes will be awards based on length of fish. For details, call 978-249-3004 or check the Facebook page.

3 Sunday 3pm. Church and Town in Lancaster, 1653-1833: “A Church Runs Through It”: Local historian Tim Castner will help untangle the complex relationship between church and town in Lancaster from the town’s founding in 1653, through Indian wars, the American Revolution and the early Republic, to the eventual separation of church and town governance in 1833. In the Bulfinch designed Fifth Meeting House (on the town green) built in 1816 for worship and for town government. Free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served afterwards.

3 Sunday 4pm. Historic Piano Concert at the Ashburnham Community Church, 84 Main Street, Ashburnham. Pianist Stephen Porter. Visit frederickcollection.org or call 978-827-6232.

Center Stage at Fitchburg State University

Anne Heaton

Center Stage at FSU presents, Anne Heaton, Saturday, April 25, 2015, at 8:00 p.m. A simply lovely blend of soft pop, smooth blues and porch folk - singer-songwriter and classically trained pianist Anne Heaton’s songs are “tender, barbed and spiritual” (Washington Post). Known for the infectious energy of her live performances — “a natural performer with a rich, soaring voice” (Seattle Times)—her graceful, vulnerable and sometimes humorous pop-folk songs will capture your imagination and soul. Tickets: $28.00 adults, $25.00, alumni, seniors and staff, $5.00 students. Contact 978-665-3347, Fitchburg State

Historic Piano Concert, April 26, 2015

Rebecca Hartka, Cellist

Alys Terrien-Queen, Pianist

This Sunday, April 26, the Frederick Historic Piano Collection presents cellist, Rebecca Hartka and pianist, Alys Terrien-Queen, performing Sonata for Cello and Piano in C by Sergei Prokofiev and Sonata for Cello and Piano in g by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Alys will be performing on the Blüthner piano, Leipzig, 1877. The concert will be held at 4:00 p.m. in the Community Church on Main St., Ashburnham. Admission is $10.00 for adults. Students and children are free. For more information visit: http://frederickcollection.org.

Bull Run presents Pure Prairie League, April 11, 2015

This Saturday, April 11, the Bull Run Restaurant in Shirley will present Pure Prairie League. 

Pure Prairie League's biggest hits include “Aimee," “Two Lane Highway," "Falling in and out of Love," "Early Morning Riser" and the musically less-representative pop song, “Let Me Love You Tonight.” In the '70s and '80s they rode the same country-tinged rock wave that carried the Eagles, Buffalo Springfield, Poco and The Band to popularity. Vince Gill, later to become one of Nashville’s biggest solo stars, sang and played guitar with the band in the early 1980s and recorded an updated version of “Aimee” for their greatest hits album.

Influenced by bluesy drive of the Byrds and the seamless fusing of country and rock first introduced by bands like the Flying Burrito Brothers, PPL benefits from tight slide guitar, dueling solos and plenty of jammy Americana, mixing country rock, southern boogie, bluegrass and blues. Whether they are “Pickin To Beat The Devil” or taking you for a ride down a “Two Lane Highway,” PPL is a sure fire good time.

The current long-time lineup is: John David Call (pedal steel, vocal), Mike Reilly (guitar, vocals), Rick Schell (bass) and Scott Thompson (drums).

“PPL does what it's always done: they remain true to themselves, creating a sound that doesn't compromise their vision, yet manages to capture the ears of their adoring faithful "prairiedog" fans, as well as a new legion of listeners. If there is a formula to PPL's longevity and success that may very well be it.” - Country Music Online

Tickets are $42.00 each in advance or $46.00 at the door (if available). For more information visit www.bullrunrestaurant.com or call 978-425-4311 or toll free 877-536-7190.

Old Sturbridge Village

Dyeing the yarn at Old Sturbridge Village

Old Sturbridge Village, in Sturbridge MA, is a living, breathing, vibrant village depicting life in New England from 1790-1840. Meet historians in costume and tour 40 antique buildings, including a country store, school, and water-powered mills. Ride the stagecoach, learn to plow, make crafts, dip candles, and help the printer, potter and blacksmith at work. And at our 19th-century Freeman Farm, watch historians demonstrate farm work through the seasons: planting, harvesting, milking cows, churning butter, and cooking over the hearth. Don't forget to meet our heritage breed sheep, oxen, chickens and pigs! www.osv.org.